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Sound City, Dave Grohl, and the Changing Business of Recording Music

Tape Log Entry #223

Everyone has been talking about Dave Grohl's new documentary Sound City a lot lately. That's cool; it's a fun romp of a movie, even if Dave can't decide whether he's making a film about a Neve console, a dying studio, a rock star jam session or an anti-Pro Tools rant.

I don't want to rag on Dave Grohl - he's always seemed like a straight up dude, comes from the same underground world as so many of us did, and heck, he really is one hell of a drummer. And I loved watching Sound City; it's full of the same nerd-heaven stuff that we cover in Tape Op. I mean, just the fact that Rupert Neve gets a cameo here (albeit with silly "thought bubble" graphics superimposed over Dave's noggin) is a real treat. One thing that's confusing is that Grohl seems to be attributing the arc of his career to the magic in a Neve console. As wonderful as they are, that strikes me as a bit misguided. But where I have some real issues is with some of the implied messages that Dave attempts to deliver throughout the film.

Why did Sound City Studios ultimately choose to shut down operations? We know that the music business has been gutted by piracy, stupid major label practices, and a greedy tech sector. We know that millionaire rock stars have built their own private studios with equipement they've scavanged from said studios - you know, the same studios that no longer get those $400,000 recording budgets. And we know that a private studio owned by such a rock star doesn't have to show the same profit as a studio run as a commercial business.

Rupert Neve!!

But, instead of telling us the real story behind Sound City closing, we're told that what has fucked up the music industry is the evil of Pro Tools, because Pro Tools allows untalented people to make records. Untalented people have always made records, and the entertainment business has always propped up pretty faces as artists. During the film we're also told that Pro Tools allows people to avoid using a real studio, as if that's what killed off Sound City. And yet they did keep that studio rolling for many years after Pro Tools came out...

The final capper is that we're told that Sound City didn't buy a Pro Tools rig. Nick Raskulinecz, who's a great guy, even implies (probably a bit out of context) that Sound City wouldn't spend $20,000 on a Pro Tools rig. Really? They had obviously dropped $80,000 a piece for new Studer 24-track tape decks at some point. And, um... what about the early Pro Tools rig they used to "fix" Nirvana's "Something in the Way"? I'm sure they rented that rig, or even had one on permanent rental at the studio. Remember that era? Everyone was buying Pro Tools rigs so they could rent them back to studios and sessions. (You know, Nirvana should have scrapped that awesome take anyway if they couldn't play it for real to tape in the studio, right?)

Back to the top: Pro Tools killed Sound City? Tape and a Neve console is GOOD and Pro Tools is BAD? That's, in part, what I took away from watching this documentary. There is no tape deck that magically makes records sound awesome, it's how you choose to run your sessions. It's who you hire to record and produce you (like the mighty Butch Vig). I fucking love my tape decks, but you know what? I don't tell every session they need to use tape. A wonderful reel of ATR 2-inch tape will set you back $318 plus shipping. If you run that at 30 ips you'll need 3 reels to track an album, and that's if you don't keep any alternate takes. Most of my clients can't afford the extra $1000 these days.

Making the many decisions about how you wish to record your own music is important, but to push one of your decisions down other people's throats is unnecessary. Dave getting up at the Grammys last year and addressing the "human element" in music was wonderful - but implying that you need a tape deck to capture the human element is incorrect and misleading.

I'm sorry for having to point all this out, and I really do give Dave Grohl props for knowing what works for him in the studio. He keeps his eye on the real prize - the joy of making great music, as well as capturing compelling, exciting performances. And I'm glad he made Sound City because it's a fun movie to watch; and it might even inspire other musicians to think about how they approach their own creativity. But damn it, I want the whole world to understand that all of the choices made in the studio have an impact on the outcome of a session, and it's never as simple as saying "tape over computers."

Post Script:

For anyone telling me I'm off mark because there are not specific quotes or such in the film, please keep in mind that a film tells a story through the different scenes and the order they come in. If a film shows a studio shutting down and a studio manager out of work and with no health care (audiences were certainly left wondering what happened there) and then the film talks about Pro Tools and how it has changed recording and the music industry, what do you think people walk away assuming? I'm not talking about recording geeks and people deep inside the music biz, I'm talking about average viewers.

From the new Us Weekly (yes, I know it's shit journalism but that's kinda the point here): "Bravo to Dave Grohl for directing a documentary with a staid topic - how digital recording shut down beloved music studio Sound City..."

I was all ready to dislike your post because of how much I enjoyed Sound City. But your post is dead on as usual. I also started out in tape but at a radio station doing classical music for syndication. We moved on to computers and it made score editing much easier. It's not the tool it's the art. So whether you're using tape or Pro Tools it's what you do with it. I'm a big believer in the performance. But why waste a whole performance when one part is bad. Anyway great take.

I am so glad to see you post this Larry. I really enjoyed this documentary as well. It was fun to learn the history of that studio and nerd out a bit, but every snide remark that was directed to "the evil protools," really bummed me out. Recording your sessions inside a DAW does not remove the human element, how you decide to edit it later is where I think music loses its vide(if it ever had any to begin with). I have always admired David for his work, but we are not all blessed with his budget. So I am going to continue my work with my music ruining, studio killing equipment.

I came across this article after a long day of recording. I set up in an old church and recorded many hours of a solo instrumental acoustic guitar player. His music is so inspiring to me, and he is such an amazing talent as both a player and writer that I had to record him in a beautiful sounding space. And I had to help him share his awesome gift with others.

If I had had to use tape, the project would never have happened. I used a laptop, an 8 channel MOTU unit and Pro Tools. Neither of us make a full living in the music world, so these are the choices we have to make when we want to record music. The choice is: Do we record at all, or do we sit around and bemoan that we can't make a "pure, authentic recording" because we don't have access to a quality tape machine and analog mixing console? As you can guess, I use what I have, pick my space well, point my mics, and if the stars are aligned, capture something brilliant.

Thanks for your article. I also enjoyed the documentary a great deal, but walked away from it with similar feelings. No piece of equipment is magic, people are magic. Ideas are magic. The right combination of talent, savvy and inspiration is magic. Music is magic. Get there however you can.

You are a little right right but mostly wrong, DG is not as articulate as you but his point is in the right general direction...As far as records sonically being as good as the great records pre digital it does not even come close... your point of people not being able to afford is pointless to me and the same reason why I have to hear about 100 bands a year that have no staying power because it's mostly disposable and meaningless...I for one would like to see a handful that are masters of their craft, not a million dudes in their garage...

I had the same feeling throughout the film. Loved the history and interviews, but it seemed that he was rushing through the first couple of ones though.

Many great major label/legendary bands record through pro tools - bands that are more talented than the foo fighters, I found that a bit strange. The jam sessions near the final half of the films were unnecessary and was for sure the low point(s) of the film. The lesson to us is this though - even with a legendary neve console, if the music is bad, the console's not going to help...

I'd like to see the stats on what FF record WASN'T made using Pro Tools. Besides, you know, this one. The same complaint was registered by many when midi arrived & became easy for 1-man-bands to make records. DAWs aren't the evil - it's the fact that so many people still don't know how to record properly to a 24bit digital capture that crappy-sounding records STILL abound. And, the fact that a lot of lesser talented folk are using every crutch in the book to try to polish their less-than-stellar performance. Auto-tune, quantization, digital reverb, midi, sampling, loops - they are all tools (some say "cheats"). It's about the end product, not the process. I can cut a track in my living room on my HDX rig, or I can go to a big room with an 4k/827 and do the same - but work much harder and spend LOTS more $$$.Which will sound better - or be more "honest"? In the end, whining about whether I used a rock or a titanium hammer to build a house is irrelevant when the house is A) a POS, or B) a classic ranch house. You still gotta be smarter than the hammer. Thanks, Larry.

Spot on, Larry. You reminded me of a rant I endured back toward the end of the 20th century regarding one older engineer's hatred of Mackie. "You can't use those," essentially. At the time I'd made probably 10-15 7"s in various basement studios using a 1604VLZ and all I could think of was, "Ok, so those records would never exist." I've been recording and mixing real records with real humans and real instruments in ABLETON for the past 5+ years, for a lot of self-financed productions. Am I killing the music industry?

Well put Larry. I get all aglow over a nice tape deck and a Neve as much as the next full fledged audio nerd but....The right people inthe right room at the right time should always be of primary focus. Now one might say, yeah that's obvious to us all but often it's under prioritized. I also think it's worth mentioning that with the aforementioned "people-room & timing" priority is the right mic placement and front end / converters / arrangement is WAY more important than whether or not a solid tape machine & a Neve are available. (Joe Henry productions come to mind here)Good post Larry.

Haven't seen the film but have personally lived and worked 43 years in music production. I am the same person, with the same ethics, using different tools and I make better records NOT because of the tools but because of personal growth and increased experience. I still have my analog gear and love some things about it but it is virtually impossible to make a living with because I must work simultaneously on several projects. There are other reasons I love working 'in the box' and all have to do with the music itself. Untalented people? Nothing new Dave. Those same tools that serve them in such an embarrassing way get daily use by me in the creation of great music made by very talented people. Duh!

Great article. As a long time engineer, I think there is another point to be raised. DG seems to have fallen into an old trap. Recording artists with any success seem to lapse into magical thinking, trying to determine what it is that allowed them or others to succeed. Since there is no solid real answer, many begin to believe, like sports teams, in some talisman or other. A studio, a producer, a mic . . . I once worked with an artist that couldn't perform without his special chair.

So great to see your thoughts Larry. I often think of Bjork who reminds us that analog or digital mediums are just tools we use to express ourselves. This invariably brings me to a quote attributed to Dylan in the "Don't Look Back" film..."what have you got to say?"

I enjoyed the movie, and didn't see it as so much a scathing attack on ProTools, as an attack on the DIY approach.

Repeatedly, it was stated that it's better to work with a group of humans in a room than to work alone. For many people, of course it is. For others, it's not. And the false analogy here is that working alone equates to working with ProTools. You can be just as alone working on tape as you can with a DAW. And you can have an awesome Neve board in front of a DAW.

DIY culture is all about making do with what you have. Sorry, but we don't have the budget to work at Sound City. And if any critic wants to condemn me, or anyone else who's working alone with a DAW, well they can go eat a bowl of dicks.

When the time came for the rockstar jamming, this was really the low part of the film, and it make me wonder if the entire film was merely an ad for the soundtrack.

I spent 30 years making records on tape and I can assure everyone that there were thousands of awful sounding, soulless vinyl records made. I know this for a fact because I made some of them. I would also argue Dave Grohl and his friends occasionally make their own contributions.

Well said as always, Larry. I'm sure 4 tracks are "unacceptable" ways to make records too, but plenty, including Springsteen's celebrated Nebraska, were done that way. Your point is dead on - there are many ways to make great records, and Pro Tools just so happens to be one of them. Use what you have. The fetishization of gear and blaming it's absence on the decline of the Industry is tiring. This often comes from people who don't always know what they are talking about. Didn't someone in that film refer to a solid state console as one that had tubes in it? Cassette labels are a thing now based on some perceived fidelity. I once asked a Buddhist monk, in the hills above Chang Mai, if they prayed to a god. He said no and I asked why. He said "if you ask some...force...to come along and save you, or solve your problem, and it doesn't, then you have something or someone to blame. The solutions to your problems are right in front of you." More things than ever to make great records are available to us, and I reject the notion that the best days are behind us.

Great points Larry. The creation of music is a personal endeavor, and great art isn't dictated by the tools used, but by the intentions of the artist and the final execution with the tools at hand.

I'm a huge fan of Dave Grohl, but do feel that he himself would understand the very punk aesthetic of democratized recording tools. When used correctly, these tools allow anyone to access the bottom rung of the music industry, and some of those will go on to make some money and in the process support well run modern professional studios (as I myself have at times when finances or circumstance allow).

Larry, appreciate the post, but I thought that Sound City was much more nuanced than you're giving it credit for. I saw Sound City more as a musing on the beauty of recording, writing, and playing music with people and the alchemy that certain pieces of gear can bring to bear. I thought the doc went to great lengths to NOT vilify Pro Tools, but to point out that some of the ways it's used are not organic or exactly artistic. Sound City is in many ways a love letter to that Neve board, but also an exploration of how making music has changed and how confluences of moments can change our lives in ways we would never know until long after the fact. It's also a film that strives to point out to a generation of people young enough to have never even seen an actual board or been in a real studio that there was a way things were done before that valued and promoted cohesion and collaboration in a way that modern recording doesn't always foster. And then it shows us that beauty and magic in the later third of the film. It's one of the best movies about making music I have ever seen.

Absolutely on target, Larry.It amuses me to no end that folks are still endeared of tape. Obviously, they've never had to align/calibrate a 24 track machine. Or a half-track ....

It is now, and always has been, about the song, the artist, the performance and the production. Tape, ADAT, Pro Tools, Cubase, whatever gets the job done.

If the tape fetishists are so concerned about authenticity and the wonders of analog, perhaps they should find some wax cylinders....

As for the recording/music industry, the "fault" lies in a business model that didn't adapt to the reality of technology, much in the same way the railroad industry thought they were in the railroading business when in fact they were in the transportation business.

Many years ago I started to work with 4 track ¼ inch otari tape machine, later with a TRS 8 Tascam ½ inch 8 track deck, and with a 16 track fostex 1 inch tape deck. In the 90?s the studio moved to digital 8 track DA88?s and finally to pro tools. I learned to calibrate, clean, demag tape decks and all kinds of maintenance tasks. Tracking with analog tape involves a lot of work to get the gear working flawlessly, it?s not ?just roll the tape?. In some way I celebrate the Pro Tools era. Tape sounds better? Well, maybe but only if you have the analog gear in top notch and that includes the console. Not too many studios can afford a Neve board, so we had to work with Tascam, Soundcraft, Yamaha, Mackie. Just a couple of times we had the chance to work with a Neotek and Amek. Pro tools is a standard platform able to achieve great results and that opens the door that anybody can get their stuff recorded. That?s good, but not all the recorded material sound great. That?s not pro tools fault. I still have the analog tape era approach when I work on pro tools, and I miss the tape sometimes. But most than any gear, what I missed a lot is the client?s studio attitude of that time..

I thought that Sound City was even more disappointing that you pointed out. The tape versus Pro Tools argument has been there forever and as a guy who makes his living in studios I can honestly say, I don't care. Tape is great. Tape is gone. Get over it.

What I didn't like was the lack of a story. I worked with Raskulinecz for several years and he is a great guy who worked his ass off to get where he is. He has told me hundreds of amazing Sound City stories. DG is DG so people are just going to like it because it's him but if this was the work of a real documentary film maker then they should have taken his camera away.

Rupert Neve is childishly disrespected in this movie with his thought bubbles. Here is some drummer talking to Rupert Neve and all he can come up with is "I didn't graduate high school"? Rupert Neve deserves our respect and he didn't get it.

What happened between the Fleetwood Mac self-titled record and Nevermind? Why don't they talk about that for forty minutes instead of jamming at 606?

I wanted to hear more out of Rick Rubin, Chevon (the manager), Tom Petty, Joe Barresi and even Nick whom I know. We are introduced to these guys but very little content actually comes out of there mouths. You keep waiting for it and then you find yourself watching Josh Homme trying out the bass. I was left wondering why Josh Homme has so much more screen time than Rick Rubin and Chevon?

I thought the movie was brutally bad. It shows how little we have to nerd out on.

Oh Brother- Really?? I have been reading Tape Op for ever, back when Tape Op didnt talk much about Pro-Tools and yet when it did it certainly did not carry the same tone that is in this commentary. I remember when TO carried many of the same tones in its articles that Dave carried in his film. Dave is an artist- no body says crap when he writes a song to air out his feelings, but when when he puts a film together... Well thats another story. Im rather disappointed LC that you would take this dig. I like your work, I like your mag even if I dont always love it or agree with it, but I would never put a dig on you for being an accomplished engineer who decided he would now be a magazine publisher. I didnt agree personally with everything that Dave wanted to express in his film but so what ?? Its his film, it was fun to watch and we all know his work ethic is second to none. Rather unfortunate really

Sound City was edited and mixed on an Avid system. Most likely an Avid MC/PT set up. Paul Crowder edited the film and Greg Hayes was the "mix technician", Dave Grohl directing. I'd say that making a film, using Avid products, is a pretty big statement about what you believe in. Hard to say the film was slamming Pro Tools, when they were using an Avid product to build it. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that.

Larry, thanks for the cool and interesting reading material. My butt has gone numb more than once while reading the magazine, blog and the discussion forum.

SOURCE: (View the recent projects link on this website)http://www.sixteen19.com/service/avid-systems-rental-and-support

This is the best discussion about this movie I've seen yet. My own thoughts are along the lines the comment by Jason Lewis... while parts of the movie seemed focused on the board, or a producer, or tape, or whatever, the larger message was that of continuity.

This is played out in the pages of Tape Op all the time, you see these stories that illustrate the continuity of an art form, making great records in big studios, that is being lost. It doesn't mean that we still can't make great records, but it does mean we won't end up with things that sound like the great tracks of 1974, or '85, or even '92 again. The workflow of a large analog console, of tracking to 2" tape, of the hierarchy of people and experience, all these things work together to create a unique result.

I have to totally agree with a lot of the posts here, though, that the new age of technology has allowed the capture of performances that would have never been captured before. A young band, a community choir, a touring vocal ensemble, we can capture and share these performances in a way we never could before. It is liberating and enjoyable.

But yes, we'll never have another Rumors, there is no new Tom Petty waiting in the wings, and eventually our musical experiences of the 1970's and 1980's become what this film celebrates, our gloried pasts.

I always enjoy reading your articles and as a fairly young person and someone still paying his dues I would have to disagree with some of your statements. Of course as a film the arc needs to bend in such a way that Us Weekly can have some kind of take away quote of the film. But that being said I for one did not take the message of Sound City to be that tape reigns supreme.

If anything I was even more inspired to not worry so much about gear, preamps, consoles, 2 inch, pro tools, etc. As someone who went to school and unfortunately taught pro tools before tape and on most recordings use Logic/ Pro Tools; I thought the message was just to simply get down and make music. Most importantly work harder at your craft and make good music and yes once in a while you run into an instrument like the neve console or i.e. Trent Reznor's digital set up that inspires you in a unique way .

I think you make some valid points as the film does stray a bit in alluring to the "downfall" of recorded music stemming from pro tools, but I certainly feel that was more of a reference to the change it did stir.

I agree with in the way that the movie did seem to jump around quite a bit, but its Dave Grohl, did you honestly expect anything else? I also agree that there is an underlying theme put forth by the film, but I feel like its not clear because they never actually came out and directly blamed anything for the fall of Sound City. Its more up to the audience to take what they want from the film. I personally got the impression that the message was honesty and talent have been sacrificed for sake of convenience, and that "Sound City was the place where real men went to make records.? because it took real talent to make a record back then. They did also give the computer side of the argument props in Trent Reznor's part. He has the talent to begin with and does not need to use pro tools or a drum machine as a crutch like so many famous artists do these days.

I liked the movie. I felt in the beginning of the movie that DG was trying to blame the "DAW" thing on killing music etc... But towards the end of the actual documentary he does say that music is about learning to be good at your craft. And admits that Pro Tools is not itself bad.

I think that he has some things right. 1. music has become stale at the top. 2. Affordable digital recording has killed the big studio business. 3. Sound City was a weird but good sounding room.

One of the reasons I did not love the movie is it seemed mostly an ego stroke for those being interviewed, and those that made the movie. It was fun to watch. Made me miss tape for a bit and a Neve console. But the tools have changed for me but the ethic is the same. Work hard and make great music. That is all we should worry about in the end.

"Pro Tools killed Sound City? Tape and a Neve console is GOOD and Pro Tools is BAD? That's, in part, what I took away from watching this documentary"

Exactly... but I'd agree that the Music Industry was more at fault then Digidesign (Avid) was. In contrast to the film, my vinyl records still have a sound their digital (CD) counterparts never possessed. Honestly, look at where we're at now with iTunes, Amazon, etc.. Digital downloads, as a medium format, was the worst thing to happen to music! That's the bottom line.

I completely agree with this, I'm a music production lecturer and the messages put forward by Sound City had left an impression on some of my students, mainly the Pro Tools = bad message. I like the sound of tape and I'm pleased that it seems to be making a resurgence, but to just dismiss what Pro Tools (and other DAW's, I just happen to be a Tools user) can do is foolish. Anyone with half a brain can tell the difference between a shit mix, a good mix, and a great mix, and while DAW's have made recording accessible to the masses, it does not define who does and doesn't deserve to be in the music business as the film suggests. The quality of a recording is in the ears, not the gear, not that it wouldn't be nice to play on that Neve console...

I loved the movie mostly because I have made records on Neve desks and Studer 2" machines for years, and I still do on occasion. I really did hate Pro-Tools when after the first record I recorded on it was way under my standards. But what bothered me most about the movie was it seemed to turn into a big advertisement for this one particular Neve desk and the fact that Dave now owns this desk. I still enjoyed the movie and I still turn other people on to the movie. Most of us who have worked in the industry can understand his point, but I think up and coming audio professionals and musicians could take home an inaccurate message from the film.

I also enjoyed watching this, with all the gearlust inside, but ultimately found extreme comfort and further entertainment seeing/hearing famous musicians using famous gear and churning out totally forgettable, mediocre music. While that might strike you as negative (sure, it is), for me it's the fact that I benefit from constant reminders of what is important or necessary to make art.

I didn't do this video. But the guy who did must be spying on me. You can replace the style of music with any style, but the conversation is the same. (Recording Engineers, you can replace mastering with 'my friend has a hacked copy of Cubase.') ...

Quantegy , despite the oddity of still being an active link, posted this announcement recently: "Plans are being formulated for the revival of Quantegy 499 Gold Studio Mastering and GP9 Platinum Studio Mastering audio products, as well as the Black...

Remember Nino from issue #67? His new Bird and Egg Recording Studio is hosting "an open house of sorts. On Sunday, October 18th between the hours of 2pm and 6pm Bird and Egg will be open for you to see and feel. There will be wine and hors d'ouvres...

So here it is. The fateful letter that relentless talent scout and A&R honcho John Baccigaluppi sent to my band Vomit Launch back in 1988. Little did we know that soon we'd be holed up in his studio making records, and less than a decade later...

I don't want to explore this concept with as many words as I might for a Tape Op "End Rant", but I had to dump this shit out of my mind immediately. Someone dropped me a line recently; "I'd like you to hear this record I worked on. We didn't use EQ,...

Expect to see more changes in the music purchasing/acquiring habits of teenagers as time goes by. Courtesy of the NPD Group's press release:
"teens (age 13 to 17) acquired 19 percent less music in 2008 than they did in 2007. CD purchasing declined 26...

Years ago John Fischbach, a well-established and respected producer/engineer, came to my studio to record an album that our mutual friend, Luther Russell, was producing. [See Tape Op #21.] In those days my studio, Jackpot! Recording, was a diamond...

Here's some links and stuff from a thread I started at the Tape Op Message Board forum:
David Byrne interviews Thom Yorke about the Radiohead "In Rainbows" download in Wired Magazine.
Pandora Radio is an internet radio site that allows the...

Get This Issue!

Welcome to the Jan/Feb 2015 issue of Tape Op!

When we're recording music, it always feels like there's never enough time. Whenever I finish a mix, or an entire album, I always think, "But what if we'd had more time?" We could explore more possibilities. We could spend longer on a mix. Track more vocal takes, looking for the magical performance. Maybe the artist should have practiced more? Should we have taken a few days off between tracking and mixing? It seems as if every mix project I get ends up tracking overdubs up to the last minute, no matter how far in advance they book the session. But I also must be highly aware of the days allotted for sessions, and find ways to get the work done on time and at the highest quality possible.

When we plan to use a commercial recording studio we "book time." Our budget is dependent on how much time we estimate for a project. If we record at home, we might consider the sessions unrestricted by time, but we all know we have to "set aside" time in order to have the time to do the recording. Because music is an art based in time, it takes time to write and create, and it takes time to capture and manipulate in the studio. Do you have enough time to get done what you needed? Can the project be completed in time?

It all comes down to time. It always has and always will. How will you spend your time?